Yieldable support for rollers of postmarking and stamp-canceling machines



May 1, 1923. 1145x3 3 W. H. BOWES YIELDABLE SUPPORT FOR ROLLERS OF POSTMARKING AND STAMP CANCELING MACHINES Original Filed May 13. 1921 Patented May 1, 1923.

UNlTED WALTER H. BOWES, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT. Z

YiELDABLE sorron'r ron Romans or ros'rrannnme annsraiancenonnms MACHINES. 1

Original application filed ma 13, 1921, Serial No. 469,305. Divided and this application filedNovembcr" 18, 192 1. eel-mm. 516,120. I 1

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WAnrER H. Bowns, a subject of the King of Great Britain, re siding at Stamford, in the county of Fain field and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Yieldable Supports for Rollers of Postmarking and Stamp-Canceling Machines; and I hereby declare that the following is'a full, clear, and exact description thereof,

reference being had t'o the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specifica tion.

This invention relates to machines for postmarking and canceling mail, of the type commonly known as Universal stamp canceling and postmarking machines, such as' shown inpatent to Graham #1,022,191, dated 'April 2', 1912, and Bowes Patent #1,365,886, dated January 18, 1921,'but is adaptable to other types of machines wherein' it is desired to make impressions upon articles such as letters, sheets of paper,checks and the like.

The present application is a division of my application Serial No. 469,305 filed May 13, 1921 for postmarking and stamp cancelin'g machine.

The object of the present invention is to provide novel means, for, supporting and holding various rollers in the machine with yielding spring pressure, so that the said rollers will be effectively. held yieldingly to their work under the proper tension and with proper torque. While the invention is particularly constructed and designed for use in connection with stamp canceling and postmarking machines, as aforesaid, it should be understood that the invention is susceptible of other applications in the art and is not limited to use with the particular mechanisms described. i

I will explain one practical embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, to enable others familiar with the art to understand, adapt and use the same; and in the claims summarize the essential features of the invention and the various novel features of construction and combinations of parts, for all of which protection is desired.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of partof a machine shown in the aforesaid patents,with my novel improvements appliedthereto.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view ,of one of the rollers and its adjustable yieldable support detached.

I Fig. 3 is aside view-partly broken and partly in section of Fig. 2. I 0

-Asindicated in Fig..1,of the drawings F is a feed roller, S a separating roller, F and i F opposed coacting guide"; rollers, R .the trip pressure roller, R a yieldableguide roller coacting with the trip feed roller R; 1 is the printer, and 1 the yieldable impression roller 'coacting with the printer.

These parts per se may be arranged andadapted tooperate substantially as in the so-called Universal stamp canceling and postmarking machines, and therefore do not require furtherdetailed description herein.

In the construction indicated in the drawings the usual impression roller 1 coacts with the die-carrier or printer 1", the trippressure-roller R and the coacting trip-feedrollerlt beingarranged in advance of the printer. Q: r i

The impression roller 1 and guiding roller should be yieldingly mounted so'that they will accommodate various thicknesses of mail or material passed between them and their opposed co-acting rollers. Heretofore in the Universal machine the rollers R v 1 have been supported on a bracket attached.

to fiat spring arm. In the presentinvention I improve the mounting of these roll-v ers by employing arombination of flat and coil springs. I

As illustrated, roller 1 is mounted in a bracket 9 which is securely fastenedto one end of a flat spring arm9 set vertically edgewise in a plane parallel with the plane of the axis of the roller.- The other end of spring 9- is secured to the upper end 10 of a pivoted or rocking rod 10 by screws 10". This rod 10 is mounted in suitable bearings in a bracket 11 attached to'the top plate of the machine.

The lower part of the rod 10 is surround- 10 mange 12 near its lower end which flange An arm 10 is pinned to the rod 10 above the sleeve 12, and a helical spring 13 surrounds the sleeve and rod below the bracket (see Fig. 7). The upper end of this spring is engaged with the arm 10 and its lower end with the flange 1%, and by turning the sleeve on the rod any desired tension can be given to the spring so as to cause it to normally press or hold the roller 1 toward the printer 1 with any desired degree of pressure; and when the spring 13 is adjusted for the proper tension it is locked by pawl 12 engaging the teeth of flange 12.

The roller R coacting with the trip roller R is also preferably yieldingly mounted in a manner similar to the roller 1 by means of a flat spring 9 attached to the upper end 10* of a shaft 10 by screws 23 and which shaft may be provided with a sleeve and spring arm said means insulating a ratchet 12* and pawl 12"" similar to the parts shown in Fig. 3, and as described and for the purpose specified.

The flat spring 9 has no tension adjustment but is used in order to give the desired torque to the bearing. A slight amount of torque is necessary in the impression roller and in the roller ll" as the mail matter is frequently thicker on either bottom or top side. At flat spring alone would furnish both tension and torque if it could be made long enough, but on account of the limited space it is impossible to make it sufficiently long to be effective; and my novel combination of both flat and helical springs gives the desired resiliency and torque and is both practical and eiiicient.

What I claim is: I 1 I 1. In mechanism of the character specified, the combination of a printer, a coacting impression roller, a bracket carrying the roller, a flat spring carrying the bracket at one end, a rock shaft to which the other end of the spring is attached, and a helical spring having one end connected with the shaft and the other end to a relatively fixed support, whereby the flat spring is caused to hold the roller yieldingly in position.

2. In mechanism as set forth in claim 1, a sleeve surrounding the shaft and having a a chet, and a dog engaging the ratchet, the

ical spring surrounding the sleeve.

in mechanism of the character specified, the combination of a roller, a spring a'm carrying the roller, a rock shaft carrying the arm, a sleeve surrounding the shaft, means for adjusting the sleeve, and a spring connected with said shaft and sleeve and impelling the shaft to turn and cause the arm to yieldingly hold the roller to operative position.

In mechanism of the character specified, the combination of a roller, a spring arm carrying the roller, a rock shaft carrying the arm, a sleeve surrounding the shaft, means for adjusting thesleeve, and a helical spring surrounding the sleeve having one end engaged with the shaft and the other end with the sleeve.

5. In mechanism of the character specified, the combination of a roller, a spring arm carrying the roller, a rock shaft carrying the arm, a sleeve surrounding the shaft and having a ratchet, a dog engaging the ratchet, and a spring having one end engaged with the shaft and the other end with the sleeve.

6. In mechanism of the character specified, the combination of a roller, a flat spring carrying the roller at one end, a rock shaft to which the other end of the spring is attached, a sleeve surrounding the shaft, means for locking the sleeve, and a spring having one end connected with the shaft and the other end with the sleeve, whereby the flat spring is yieldingly forced to hold the roller yieldingly in position.

7. In mechanism of the character specified, the combination of a roller, a flat spring carrying the roller at one end, a rock shaft to which the other end of the spring .is attached, a sleeve surrounding the shaft and having a ratchet, a dog engaging the ratchet, and a spring having one end connected with the shaft and the other end with the sleeve,

whereby the flat spring is yieldingly forced to hold the roller yieldingly in position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as.

my own, I affix my signature.

WALTER H. BOWES. 

